Anchor



April 24, 1 R. s. DANFORTH 3,030,906

ANCHOR Filed June 22, 1959 r v INVENiOR.

4 Richard 5. Danforf'h ECKHOFF Z5uc1 FQQ United States Patent 3,030,906 ANCHOR Richard S. Danforth, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to The Eastern Company, a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 22, 1959, Ser. No. 821,765 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention relates to an improved twin fluke type anchor.

In my prior patents, 2,249,546, 2,282,566, 2,320,966, 2,354,666, 2,576,390, and 2,641,215, I have disclosed various improvements in twin fluke anchors. The present invention is concerned with an anchor having vastly improved holding qualities in soft mud as well as in hard sand. In addition, the ease and rapidity of engagement of this new anchor, particularly in soft mud, is vastly improved as compared to prior anchors.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide an improved construction for a twin fluke type anchor, particularly one having improved holding power and quickness of engagement, particularly with a soft bottom.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred embodiment of the anchor is disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof,

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an anchor with the flukes extended in the plane of the shank.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the anchor shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of an anchor with the flukes in operative position.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the anchor looking directly at the points of the fluke in a plane parallel to the plane of the flukes.

FIGURE 5 is a rear view of the anchor.

Referring to the drawing, the anchor includes a shank 6 having an eye 7 at one end for attachment of a shackle connected to a suitable chain or rope. At its other end, a pair of flukes 8 and 9 are pivotally mounted; in the form shown in the drawing, the flukes are fashioned as is taught in my Patent 2,633,626. The pivot mounting of the flukes is conveniently achieved by providing an aperture in each flange 10 on the flukes and in the shank 6 and passing a stock 11 through such apertures to provide a pivot, the stock being secured as by welding or riveting to the rear edges of the flukes 8 and 9. Provided centrally of the flukes and extending rearwardly generally in the region of attachment of the shank 6 are a pair of opposite rear plates 12 and 13 provided as a V at the rear of the flukes. The rear plates are effective to rotate the flukes and cause fluke points 14 to engage when the anchor is drawn over a bottom in that position in which it appears in FIGURE 2, so that the flukes then rotate into the position in which the flukes appear in FIGURE 3. A brace or strut 20 is welded between the rear plates and the rear of the fluke flanges.

The rear plates are at an angle of from 80 to 130 to one another, preferably about 120, the plates being symmetrically placed with respect to the plane of the flukes. The rear plates should each have an area equal to from 12% to 45% 0f the area of a fluke face, usually about 25%.

A pair of stop members 15 are welded between the flanges 10 to limit the swing of the flukes relative to the shank; usually a swing of 28 to 35 suffices-compare FIGURES 2 and 3.

In accordance with this invention, I provide stabilizing plates 16A, 16B, 17A, 17B in pairs on opposite sides of the flukes and secured to the stock as by welding or rivet- 3,030,906 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 ing. A brace 18 is welded to the stock and to each plate. Each plate 16 and 17 is preferably provided at an angle of 35 to 70 to the plane of the flukes, preferably about 60. In addition, each plate 16A, 16B, 17A and 17B has an area of from 6% to 12% of the area of a single fluke face, preferably about 9%. In addition, the plate pairs are symmetrically placed with respect to the plane of the flukes and are spaced apart a distance of about 26% to 60% of the stock length, preferably about 45%.

When an anchor embodying this construction is compared, for example, to that anchor shown in my prior Patent 2,641,215, and of the same weight, namely five pounds, the anchor of my prior patent would hold anywhere between 0 and 1400 pounds or more, the difliculty being that in many instances the anchor would skid over the hard sand and would not engage. An anchor embodying the present invention and as depicted herein and of the same weight, consistently held 300 to 1000 pounds. While the holding power was somewhat less, the engagement was more consistent. Also, as compared to an anchor lacking the stabilizing plates 16 and 17 in soft mud, the anchor with the stabilizing plates held at least 50% and as much as 200% more than an anchor from which the stabilizing plates were omitted.

I claim:

1. In an anchor having a shank, a pair of flukes pivotally mounted on the shank and extending in a common plane, a stock extending in the plane of the flukes, the improvement consisting in a first pair of plates extending rearwardly from the rear of the flukes and centrally thereof, said first plates being symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the flukes and having an included angle of from to each plate having an area of from 12% to 45% of the area of a single fluke face, and a pair of V-shaped stabilizing plates each mounted adjacent the rear of the flukes and extending forwardly, each stabilizing plate being at an angle of about 35 to 70 to the plane of the flukes, the pair of stabilizing plates being spaced apart from about 26% to about 60% of the stock length.

2. In an anchor having a shank, a pair of flukes pivotally mounted on the shank and extending in a common plane, a stock extending in the plane of the flukes and beyond the opposite outer sides thereof, the improvement consisting in a first pair of plates extending rearwardly from the rear of the flukes and centrally thereof, said first plates being symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the flukes and having an included angle of from 80 to 130, each first plate having an area of from 12% to 45 of the area of a single fluke face, and a pair of V-shaped stabilizing plates each mounted adjacent the rear of the flukes and extending forwardly, each stabilizing plate being at an angle of about 35 to 70 to the plane of the flukes, the area of each stabilizing plate being about 6% to 12% of the area of a fluke.

3. In an anchor having a shank, a pair of flukes pivotally mounted on the shank and extending in a common plane, a stock extending in the plane of the flukes, the improvement consisting in a first pair of plates extending rearwardly from the rear of the flukes and centrally thereof, said first plates being symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the flukes and having an included angle of from 80 to 130, each first plate having an area of from 12% to 45% of the area of a single fluke face, and a pair of V-shaped stabilizing plates each mounted adjacent the rear of the flukes and extending forwardly, each stabilizing plate being at an angle of about 35 to 70 to the plane of the flukes, the area of each stabilizing plate being about 6% to 12% of the area of a fluke, the pair of stabilizing plates being spaced apart a distance from about 26% to about 60% of the stock length.

4. In an anchor having a shank, a pair of flukes pivotally mounted on the shank and extending in a common plane, a stock extending in the plane of the fiukes, the improvement consisting in a first pair of plates extending rearwardly from the rear of the flukes and centrally thereof, said plates being symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the flukes and having an included angle of from 80 to 130, each first plate having an area of from 12% to 45% of the area of a single fluke face, and a pair of V-shaped stabilizing plates each mounted adjacent the rear of the flukes and extending forwardly, each stabilizing plate being at an angle of about 35 to 70 to the plane of the flukes, the pair of stabilizing plates being spaced apart about 45% of the stock length.

5. In an anchor having a shank, a pair of flukes pivotally mounted on the shank and extending in a common 15 plane, a stock extending in the plane of the flukes and beyond the opposite outer sides thereof, the improvement consisting in a first pair of plates extending rear- Wardly from the rear of the fiukes and centrally thereof,

said first plates being symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the flukes and having an included angle of from 80 to 130, each plate having an area of from 12% to 45% of the area of a fluke face, and a pair of V-shaped stabilizing plates, each mounted adjacent the rear of the flukes and extending forwardly, each stabilizing plate being at an angle of about 60 to the plane of the flukes, the area of each stabilizing plate being about 9% of the area of a fluke, said stabilizing plates being spaced apart 10 about 45% of the stock length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,641,215 Danforth June 9, 1953 2,869,503 Winslow Jan. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 617,367 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1949 

